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Djibouti – The Ministry of Health of Djibouti in collaboration with IOM, the UN Migration Agency’s office in Djibouti have launched a mobile patrol programme on 12 December 2017 to assist migrants in all five regions of the country.

This activity will help to provide medical screenings and treatment for stranded migrants along the migratory route. The mobile patrol programme is part of the Better Migration Management programme (BMM), which is funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Addressing Mixed Migration flows in Eastern Africa (AMMi) project funded by the European Union and Expertise France.

Djibouti’s Minister of the Interior, Hassan Omar Mohamed gave the opening address, “Djibouti is a land of asylum and destination for many vulnerable migrants but also a country of bi-directional movements for thousands of migrants from neighbouring countries to other countries, including the Arabian Peninsula.”

Referring to the UN World Human Rights Day, he stressed that Djibouti is destined to preserve the dignity of everyone and to guarantee the same value to all, as human rights are inalienable and universal.

More than 300 migrants transit Djibouti every day. Mainly from the Horn of Africa, these migrants continue to cross Djibouti to Yemen and other countries in the Gulf due to limited economic opportunities, instability and environmental degradation in their homeland.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Djama Elmi Okieh highlighted that the programme aims to provide primary and emergency health care to vulnerable populations to reduce mortality on migratory routes and to prevent the associated health risks that may affect host populations.

The mobile patrol will operate twice a week from December 2017. Doctors and nurses from the Ministry of Health and IOM medical team will provide medical treatment and water to migrants on the road who are mostly suffering from dehydration. Those who present serious conditions or have critical medical conditions will be referred to a local hospital in the region where they will receive medical care.

IOM Djibouti provides assistance to vulnerable migrants who come from Yemen or travel to Yemen via Djibouti in various regions in Djibouti. In Obock, migrants seeking assistance come to the Migration Response Centre (MRC) and are provided with food, water and medical treatment.